The IZOD IndyCar Series has raced at the Fort Worth facility 21 times, including twice in the same season seven times, since the racetrack opened in 1997. The Firestone Twin 275s will be the first doubleheader on the same day under INDYCAR sanction.

“You have to love the open-mindedness of the INDYCAR officials for randomly selecting the starting lineup of the second Firestone Twin 275,” Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said. “It guarantees a real jumble, an incredible shootout in the second race. Different strategies are going to be employed for each race. What a night of racing this will be.”

There were 17 doubleheaders (nine on ovals) under USAC and CART sanction from 1967-81, with a driver sweeping both races 10 times. The grid for the second race was determined by finishing order in the first contest in all 17 events.

Bobby Unser remembers winning both ends of the Indy car doubleheader in June 1979 at Trenton, N.J., while prevailing in the second of twin 126-mile races five weeks later at Michigan International was particularly memorable to the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion.

“It’s two completely different races, which is exciting for the drivers and fans,” Unser said. “It was like a trophy dash; just run like heck for however many miles it was and then come in and redo the car.”

On July 15, 1979, at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway, Unser started from the pole and led eight of the first 21 laps in the first of the Norton Twin 125s before the Penske Norton Spirit PC-9 blew an engine.

“There wasn’t much time between races,” Unser said. “In our particular case, we had to change the engine so the mechanics had to really work fast.”

Starting 18th of 21 in the second race, Unser worked his way to the front and led the final 35 laps. Tom Sneva finished second and Al Unser third. Gordon Johncock, who won the first race and started from the pole in the second, finished fourth.

“I just had to guess at everything, start the race and if it was OK then I guess I was pretty good,” Unser said. “I guess I was pretty good.”

"It's going to be flat out," said three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 1980 CART Indy car champion Johnny Rutherford. "It's an exciting concept, and it was back when I won the races at Atlanta [a sweep in 1979].

Sounded like a fun night of racing.The 14 machine finished 8th in race 1, and 11th in race 2

Franchitti wasn't too pleased about where he started in race 2, he said a cuss word on the radio

2 races in a row where he makes backhanded comments about those who finished ahead of him (his teammate did too)I guess they feel they are the only ones who deserve to win every week I really think that attitude is gonna come back and bite em in the rear.The competition is catching up with them pretty fast, maybe not in the sense of dominating races, but getting the wins at the end of races.Franchitti forgets he secured the chapionship last year because of someone else's mishap on the last race of the year, near the end of the race.